Another Summer Kataang Week
by Swallowing.RaInDrOpS
Summary: (2014) Yes, another contribution to Katara and Aang. Even more momentous than the last time.
1. Mon-Secrets

**Title: "**Secret Lovers**"**

**Summary: "**In the morning they would go back to being the closest friends.**"**  
**Day:**1  
**Inspiration: Down Low by R. Kelly and the Isley Brothers & I Want You by Erykah Badu (because it is what you think it is)**

* * *

Katara gnawed the corner of her bottom lip, lost in a fog of memories.

_A heartbeat was the only sound louder than her panting._

Or perhaps the better metaphor was 'steam'.

The meeting seemed to drone on and on and, though Katara was usually praised on her diligent listening in comparison to her brother or other 'young people' in positions like her with the opportunity to sit in on such life altering debates such as:

"So we're all at agreement that something like this really doesn't need my attention? The Cabbage Merchant Union can continue on its own time?"

She wanted nothing more than to go back to the apartment for another night surrounded in his embrace.

_"I-"_

_It beat harder, choking her words as his body stretched over hers in the dark bedroom. The sight of his chest always managed to stun her; His arms braced the headboard above her, pectoral and abdomen muscles taut._

Mindlessly, she agreed with the rest of the room.

The Avatar hunched over straight across from her at the head of the large oval table, "And if there's nothing else…?" His tone was weary with the question as he scanned the room, though she could feel his gaze linger on her. He always skipped looking at her when he surveyed the area.

Always save the best for last after all.

_Her breath quickened as he descended. The heaviness of his stare weighed her down when she wanted to reach out._

"Meeting adjourned."

_It made her so nervous; to be looked at with such want by eyes that constantly tricked her with their innocence. It reminded her that it really was him above her, that she wanted him so badly._

_That she loved him._

As Katara finally exited the crowded room, a hand clapped down on her shoulder. She subtly flinched when his lips pecked her cheek.

Her betrothed was always quick to catch her off guard.

"You look beat." His obvious statement started her eyes rolling.

One of the noble women commented as she passed them, as one always did.

"What a charming man you managed to snag Master Katara."

"I wish my husband was so diligent. "

Which would cause the man at her side to blush, and her to inch out of his grasp, mumbling about how he was not her _husband_ he was her _betrothed_ and there was a difference.

_Each night made her wonder if this was the night to breech the agreement._

_To untangle the lines of this old arrangement and admit it wasn't enough._

_Maybe she was mature enough and maybe now was okay, because she realized there would never be an imperfect time if it was them. But, she never did._

_Because she assumed this is still what he wanted and she would take this over not being with him at all._

_As a result she never heard that he completely agreed._

He droned on beside her, "So what do you want to do tonight? It's a full moon and all, so I was thinking maybe-"

"Katara."

_"I want you."_

The young woman looked up graciously at the man to her right holding a small manila folder.

"Avatar Aang." The couple greeted him, one with an obviously more familiar tone.

_He wanted her to know she was needed more than just physically. A long time ago she had somehow convinced him to see things her way, and he promised he would wait for her even if took forever._

_He would._

_But forever was a long time._

The Avatar smiled at them both, "Sorry to interrupt any plans but, unfortunately I have to steal Katara away from you tonight,"

He at least looked the part of someone who was truly apologetic, even as he possessed her shoulders under his arm, effectively moving her completely away from the other man's side.

"She promised me we'd burn off all this building energy together, right Sweetie?"

The Avatar grinned, his demeanor bashful and constantly impressing Katara. With a personality such as his, no man would ever truly feel threatened that a woman would leave their side; Aang was known to playfully tease elders and play with children, hold doors and push out chairs.

He was an all around good man who would never be suspected of being able to go through with anything that led a taken woman astray.

_He didn't want her to ever go to someone else's home when she took a detour from her single apartment to his or be awake in another man's embrace._

So when he asked for the company of his longtime friend and Master, when they called each other cute nicknames, when she got a sparkle in her eyes and a comfort in her tense posture and responding chuckling "Right Sweetie."

_The only named she ever needed to breathe on a man's skin was his and his alone._

Of course the man who was to marry her held no apprehension.

Because it was Avatar Aang and,

_He would go crazy if they had to carry this secret any farther than a betrothal._

it was just business.


	2. Tue-Comfort

**(Tuesday. 22nd)**

**Title: "**Poetry In Motion**"**

**Summary: "**It was hard being a freshman and harder being in love with a junior**."**  
**Day: **2  
**Inspiration: I said to myself "I don't frikin know what to use for comfort that'd be somewhat original… maybe I should use an acronym… heh, maybe I should write a poem!"**

* * *

The letters stared Aang down beneath the glow of his desk lamp.

_C_  
_O_  
_M_  
_F_  
_O_  
_R_  
_T_

To his friends the poetry class was nothing more than an elective but, if he spoke truthfully, it was his favorite class.

However, he never thought this new assignment would be so…

Difficult and, slightly _embarrassing_.

He'd written a lot of poems for her under his title of 'Anon' yet this was completely new. This made his heart race just thinking about what he could take out of his draft and put down officially.

Groaning, Aang lay his head down on the paper, making the assignment he would turn in for his grade lifted from the small breeze of his sigh.

" 'Write an Acrostic Poem'," He mumbled, his squinting eyes cut to the extra credit poem underneath.

"Why did it have to be an_ acrostic _poem?"

**...**

Aang watched nervously as Gyatso leaned against the front of his desk and eyed the paper.

He always marked the back left corner with a yellow marker as a signifier that it was okay to read this Anon to the class.

Breathing deeply, Aang managed sneaking a glance at the long, wavy brown locks of the girl two seats ahead, front row to his right.

"Looks like we've got another Anonymous Poem."

She smiled along with the other girls in class, just as excited as the rest of them for the latest poetry of the mysterious romance writer of their class.

Aang's lovesick sigh was thankfully lost in the fray.

Gyatso read the poem and he placed himself back on the moments of writing it.

'Courage abounds in your ways  
Oblivious though it makes you to my gaze

Maybe from atop your righteous stand you will  
Follow the sound of my heart and instill  
Optimistic opportunities that only my hand is a perfect fill.

Realistically I've long since drowned in the emotional wave  
Toppled over and over by this heart you've enslaved.'

**...**

"Aang? Good work today."

Aang was always the last to shuffle out of the classroom when he handed in his secret works. The heat needed time to cool from his face before he ate lunch at the same table as the object of his affections.

"Thanks Gyatso Lao Shi."

Gyatso struck just as he was almost out, "Katara wanted me to let you know she looks forward to the next one."

* * *

Note: I looked up the term that Chinese students give for their teachers and _Lao Shi _is what came up, of course that could be wrong. Also, acrostic poems are interesting; this was my first attempt at one but I definitely don't want it to be my last.


	3. Wed-Rainy Days

**Title: "**Sentimental**"**

**Summary: "**ParlorAU; Some of Katara's favorite memories took place when it rained."  
**Day:** 3  
**Inspiration: Lyralocke and her story 'Parlor Tricks'.**

* * *

Her legs were now long enough to dangle from the end of his bed at the ankle.

He'd assumed the dark lighting wouldn't do her wonderful dark tone justice but, at nineteen years old Aang discovered that she couldn't look bad in any lighting.

Especially when sporting such a ethereal afterglow.

From the moment he woke up in the Four Aces cellar to joining two Riverside gangster siblings, this had been his home.

Not just the bed or the window seat either; the woman curled in his arms was what Aang considered home.

"Gee Sparky, take a picture."

Even with her being the one waking up naked in his arms, she managed to make him blush first.

She snuggled closer than he thought possible, pressing her chest further into the side of his, while attempting to try keeping his lower half covered while wrapping his thin, blue blanket around herself more.

He quickly, 'helpfully', assisted by simply turning on his side and hugging her body closer, squeezing a small giggle out of her.

"Hey! Now I can't see the rain."

She pouted, and Aang almost wished she hadn't had the power to distract him so easily.

"I didn't notice it anyway." He whispered.

"Really? But it's really coming down out there." She grinned, unconvinced.

Aang pushed a lock of wild brown curls away from obstructing his view.

"Dollface, with you around, what guy's gonna be distracted by some rain?"

Katara laughed and he captured her lips again.

They had been a lot under this roof, in this room, especially when it rained; She had found him while it as raining, they'd reconciled while it was raining after what seemed like an eternity of being at ends with one another, he'd even given her a taste of what she now understand was true love's kiss while it rained and now, lovers.

So Katara found it, as Aang would too when she mentioned it afterwards, quite sentimental that their first time together was accompanied by the sound of rain pattering against the window at night and splattering against it that morning.

* * *

Note: Lyralocke was and possibly still is a major inspiration in my kataang work and doing things like this feels like the least I could do to repay her.


	4. Thur-Storm

**Title: "**Hell Hath no Fury**" **

**Summary: "**_2._ A heavy fall of rain, snow, or hail, or a violent outbreak of thunder and lightning, unaccompanied by strong winds.**"**  
**Day: **4  
**Inspiration: Katara may not have the Avatar State but she definitely seems like someone villains take into consideration when they hurt Aang. Plus I thought it'd be funny to think about bad guys being so scared of her they'd wait until she'd given birth to try capturing the Avatar. Yeah it's a day late but I like this one so excuse its unedited state.**

* * *

The Chief of Police had been sent on a wild lemur chase.

The Fire Lord would have never been notified quick enough.

His relatives, the Politician and his wife, had to equally deal with the city reporters and sent the Kyoshi Alliance out to all the false leads the mastermind hid.

And the Avatar's Wife had only given birth fourteen hours ago.

It was the perfect time to strike, so he did. Now the unconscious Avatar, weary from travels and unfortunate enough to have had his guard down while leaving the hospital now sat chained in a thick safe hidden behind a large abstract painting.

Thugs heavily but inconspicuously surrounded the Boss's bank, a three-story base of operation. Moonlighting as regular citizens, their only tell being a small, gold feather pinned at different visible spots of their clothes: lapels, hats, suspenders the like.

Sometimes a duo or threesome would walk the blocks every thirty minutes, other times it was one person, each time it was a different order.

This was the biggest score there was and that left no room for suspicion or screw ups.

A lone black car sat parked under a lamp light across the street from the stout, square building holding the prisoner while two men took their turn as lookouts.

The Passenger, a heavy set guy with chubby red cheeks and shiny black hair matted down under his wrinkled hat, let down the window.

"If you're gonna smoke you could at least let down your own window." He complained to the driver, who concealed his thumb back into his fist like his hand was only made to mimic a lighter.

The Driver spoke sarcastically, his deep voice naturally strain-sounding, "Kind of ruins the effect I was going for."

He blew the smoke towards his partner who skittishly pushed his face back from it while attempting to wave gray wisps outside.

"And what effect is that?" Compared to the Driver, the Passenger sounded as if his head was constantly pushed back and ducked into his neck,"Backfiring engine? Sure that impresses all the dumb Dora's."

The Driver flipped his shoulder length back over his bare shoulder and held in the drag, "Well we can't all be as handsome as you."

He exhaled against the roof. The Passenger glared and, just as he went in to flick their small calling card dangling from his partner's exposed earlobe, he froze.

The Driver became irritated by the thick fingers in his space, "What the-"

The Passenger shushed him, "Did you hear that?"

"The sound of my patience snapping?"

The street lamp above made a sharp _tink_ sound and suddenly it's light seemed muted.

"N-" The Passenger stiffened and suddenly pushed The Driver's head down, "There it was again!"

"Get off!" The Driver shoved the hand away and sat up to smooth his hair down, "What are you, finally off your nut?"

"I ain't making this up! I swear I really hear-"

The car banged loudly, jump-starting the duo's hearts and they cowered beneath their arms as the roof strained and dented.

Two thick tendrils of water rushed the open window, wrapping around them from the mouth down and ripping them out.

They banged against the nearby wall, the Passenger already out cold on sheer fright and glass cuts. The Driver had an unfortunate moment of consciousness left.

He could see the water turn to ice. It crawled spider-like up his body. The coldest ice he'd ever felt yet it felt like it was burning his skin.

A disfigured shadow writhed hauntingly above him and he felt the presence of someone leaning over his shoulder.

A female voice drifted in his pierced ear, freezing the sweat with her breath.

"He was probably talking about me."

**...**

Zhou Xuan ran through each set up street, her trench coat flapping wildly as each group she passed thus far had shown fallen members all frozen against the ice at angles only a police officer could figure out.

Which hadn't taken long. She stuck closer to the shadows when realizing the ice formed a trail that would lead the cops right to the Boss if they kept following it unopposed.

She skidded around the corner, narrowly missing an icy patch and gasped when she saw the bank.

Members were being flung out left and right, frozen to parts of the building or on the ground.

But it was being done efficiently; as Zhou Xuan stuck around she noticed things would be peaceful for what seemed like a sickeningly long time before another group was flung with enough care to not cause too much noise.

Zhou Xuan panicked; surely the Boss was still blissfully unaware, still euphoric about capturing the Avatar.

Gathering up all her courage and resolve Zhou Xuan made beeline for the door, one hand pulling out her hollow gun and the other pressing into the open breech, ready to be loaded by her bullet sized fire balls at any moment.

A splashing sound to her right.

She turned.

A sudden distraction. Was it…?

"Snowing?" She questioned.

It struck from behind.

**...**

Aang ran circles inside his metal entrapment, sweat itching every unreachable part of him while the heavy chains weighed him down and jingled at his movements.

From the other side his captor continued taunting him.

"Whatever you're doing Avatar, just give it up! " His confidence had been restored from its earlier jitters when the Avatar startled him by banging against the iron door.

Obviously, the Boss grinned in realization, he was still weakened, "You're not in any condition to scare me."

Aang panted harshly and spoke his first words since walking up.

"It's really not me you should be scared of right now anyway."

Aang rushed at the door and changed his direction to run on the walls.

**...**

The Boss chortled at his unseen attempts at freedom. His self accomplishment leaned him back into his chair. He'd planned back and forth for this, and now he would be praised in the underground world as the man who took down the Avatar.

He tugged his ponytail away from his sweaty neck. In all this he hadn't noticed how uncomfortably sweaty it was.

"Yan get in here." He called out to the waterbender guard stationed outside his door.

His irritation grew with the lacked response.

"Yan!"

A knock.

"What are you knocking for-Get in here!"

A whip of water crashed his waterbender through the door, landing him on the floor beside his desk.

The Boss yelped and blindly swept a wave of fire from his leg when one whip tried coming at him. He tried again when another whip smashed his desk down the middle and crashed it aside but, when he looked down the sweat had thinly cased his ankle.

Too much was happening at once, frazzling him. In a fit of anger he spat flames around his foot to remove the ice.

When he looked up again, it was like a dark spirit was coming for him.

A bulbous octopus form slunk through his small office doorway and revealed a woman centered on top from her hips down.

Her body moved like a ragdoll at first, and all he could were her fingers curling individually, wriggling like the tentacles.

Then, when she could fit her massive form through, she sat upright and ignored the quaking Boss's gasp.

She eyed the painting behind him before sucking in a deep breath. The Boss leaped aside at the crackling noise behind him and had no choice but to watch awestruck as she relinquished hold of the left side of her form to force the door off its hold.

Aang pushed himself out of the room, his accumulation of sweat succeeding as he hoped and he smiled his thanks when she freed his hand so he could slash at the rest of his cumbersome chains.

She replied to his with a tired smile of her own before taking full control of her form again and slowly advancing toward the Boss.

No. No he accounted for her the most. The Waterbender was supposed to be out of commission… on bed rest! What woman could move after giving birth not even fourteen hours ago?!

"What are you doing here…?" The Boss swallowed the squeak in his voice before shrieking, "_How_ are you out of the hospital?"

Katara tightened her glare, rage swelled and churning behind them.

"Good behavior."

* * *

Note: I really wanted Katara to sound like Batman/I almost wrote her being really good with her arms like Ming Hua but, I decided Katara creating a sort of Ursula-esque form was much more amazing to me.


	5. Fri-Midnight

**Title: "**The Dead of the Night**"**

**Summary: "**Aang thought it was just another late night he'd come home to.**"**  
**Day:** 5  
**Inspiration: A snippet from a bigger idea plan because it was the only one I had no idea how to attempt to not make sad.**

* * *

Rather than floating in on the current, the air seemed adamant to nearly slam Aang into his home.

He pushed out with his feet, having no choice but to risk startling his heavy sleeping wife as the air banged against their door. Cushioning the noise as best he could Aang swung through and latched the door back in place, grinning sheepishly at the darkness.

Aang was surprised to actually see the entire living area was indeed dark. He arrived at midnight betting his wonderfully pregnant wife would be mulling around the kitchen for another enjoyable strange food concoction he stored per her request.

He sighed, completely enamored by it all.

Katara. His pregnant wife.

It was at least comforting that all she was finally able to get a full night sleep.

**...**

Upon entering their room Aang lay his staff next to her vanity and began stripping down to his underwear.

Her soft sniffle moved his attention back up.

'She must be cold.' He noticed. She was bundled under their sheets, causing shivers. Aang padded to bed; if she was chilly he had no problem warming her up.

Aang slid into bed and embraced her.

"Aang…"

The smile that never really went away widened, "Hey Sweetie."

He began cuddling her closer, eager to rub his hand over the still tiny bump of her belly.

That's when he noticed.

'Wet?'

The fabric of her nightgown stuck to her strangely.

Was it sweat?

Had the past few windy nights he was gone make her sick?

Pulling his hand from the sheets Aang went to check her forehead but, paused.

Something looked… off, about his hand.

Even in the dim light from their window, when Aang rose the hand he knew clearly what he was seeing.

Blood…

Frightened, he sat up and moved Katara by her shoulders to face him. Her eyes were bloodshot yet tears ran rapidly, and her lips were heavily bitten after long attempts at silencing continuous heaves from her ears.

Aang moved his clean, shaking hand to her cheek, "Katara…"

His intonation broke her heart along with whatever resolve built up in the eternity she had woken up to the slight familiarity of no husband,

And the terrifying, sickening feeling of no child.

He held Katara through the night, their sorrow and apologies overlapping one another well past the dead of night.

* * *

Note: I got a really weird anon message for this one... well, not weird but, it sparked long text posts.


	6. Sat-Nightmare

**Title: "**Sweet Dreams**"**

**Summary: "**Katara's wedding was turning into a nightmare, luckily Aang was there to wake her up.**"**

**Day: **6

**Inspiration: **either that Beyonce song _or _this is part of a bigger idea I'm planning on doing one of these days.

* * *

Katara and Aang held an official, public wedding rehearsal dinner inside of a large brownstone building named after the king of Omashu; King Bumi's Hall was lit in its rectangle of corners by beautiful crystals decorated around bouquets of kerio gold roses. A large chandelier filled the remainder with soft dances of white light shining over mixes of wealth and royalty the soon-to-be-married couple had only met in passing.

They sat uncomfortably at the head table on a risen platform. Katara's father, grandmother, brother and sister-in-law to their right and Aang's teacher's, the esteemed Chief of Police and the Fire Lord, to their left while different members of while different important figure heads gave what they received as heartfelt speeches on the outside and individual brands of disbelief on the inside.

Eventually the head table's turn got to speak and the tearing up and smiles became genuine; Katara's family stood together for a wholehearted declaration that Aang was by all accounts a member of their family, compelling Aang to speak himself.

While everyone was winding down the enjoyments of their dinner and began drinking more, Aang stood, clinking his glass for attention and tried his best to deliver a speech that wouldn't cause too many tears. Nevertheless, by the end as he gazed down to his right he spotted Katara's subtle attempts of sniffling with her head down and the light dabbing of her eyes.

And if Katara could pinpoint any moment that would foreshadow the fate of this wedding, it was right in this moment.

"It was a long wait but, for her... I could have waited forever."

Out of the crowd cooing Aang only heard hers as Katara rubbed his leg affectionately. He returned his gaze upon them all and raised his glass.

"So a toast, to waiting."

The crowd quietly repeated.

Prompting this, _this, _as what one felt was perfect atmosphere for a tipsy Fire Lord to waggle his loose tongue.

Zuko nudged Toph, "Except Katara, obviously right?"

Hakoda and Gran Gran paused while the others choked.

"Why would that be obvious?" Hakoda spoke the confused thoughts of himself and his mother. He glanced at Sokka yet his son and daughter-in-law seemed immersed in their dinner.

Zuko perked up from his flaccid position when he felt a piece of food strike his head from the table below; his fiancée glared at him while her family was distracted by their own merriment and Ty Lee shook her head rapidly.

"It's not!" Zuko announced, ignoring the smothered cackles of the blind woman behind him, "I mean, it would be obvious to not drink if Katara was pregnant but she's not pregnant so it's not!"

Katara glared at Zuko with a subtle ferocity only felt by Aang when Hakoda's eyes fell suspiciously onto him.

Aang laughed awkwardly, "To waiting?" he squeaked, before tipped his glass back as far as possible.

**...**

The day of the wedding, Aang unknowingly awoke to the day the other metaphorical shoe would drop off this show of a wedding.

It started very normal. He was excited to wear his clothes; specially tailored by a romantic type garment maker. Dark blue and purples on his tunic and pants to match the gold and bright yellows Katara hinted may be included in her dress. The sentiment of their cultures intertwining was more than endearing.

Aang donned his attire and guided people to their seats despite the ushers and wedding committees slight protests, insisting it was the least he could when all that was required from him out of today was officially accepting the love of his life _into_ his life.

There was no doubt in his mind that that really _was _all he had to do today.

Until twenty minutes later found Aang blessing spirits for ridding his clothes of a potentially bad staining situation and five minutes afterward cursing his fast luck out when he snagged and ripped a large portion of his shirt.

Now Aang paced back and forth in his dressing room, impatiently waiting for Toph to fulfill her self-inserted position as 'Day Saver' by finding him something else to wear.

She knocked twice, turning his jumpiness to a full-blown leap toward the door. He tried just cracking it, but when Toph heard the opening creak she shoved her way through to proudly present his replacement.

"Toph!-"

"I know! It's in great condition right?"

She twirled the hanger holding his earth bending uniform. The wafting odor made him gag.

"Toph I can't wear that. It stinks!"

"What are you talking about? That is a layer of prime earth musk; it'll kill!"

"Yeah. Everyone in a thirty mile radius!"

**...**

On the day of her wedding Katara knew she would shed tears but, she didn't think it would be like this.

So many unknown people were attending a wedding she and Aang barely had any say in, topped with not being able to fit a perfect dress that fit three months ago, warranted a bit of crying as far as Katara was concerned.

However, having the opportunity to substitute it with a looser fitting golden dress Suki managed to hem up in the nick of time was a silver lining she supposed. No matter how loud her beautiful dress called her name.

Katara rested her arms on the bay windowsill and tried allowing the breeze to calm her frazzled nerves.

Just as her eyes were pleasantly drooping, Aang appeared.

He rounded the water fountain's corner, startling them both as shown by Katara accidentally freezing the water.

She reached for a green pillow, folding her arms over and covering her front, "Aang?"

He smiled, not realizing his dazed walk would lead here, "Katara-"

"What are you doing over here?" She interrupted, eyeing his attire, "Why are you so… stiff?"

Aang scratched his neck, partly in embarrassment, partly to nudge away one of many pins holding his shirt together from the inside.

"Nerves, maybe?"

When the pin was pushed back in place Aang finally looked Katara in her eyes.

"You alright?" Noticing their red tinge he walked forward despite her meek protests.

Her vocal reply came out a whimper.

Aang worriedly rushed to the window, catching her tears on his thumb, which made Katara curse and pull back slightly to wipe them away herself. As she feared, her tears were running black.

"I can't believe Toph was right." She mumbled the irony; she didn't expect Toph to know what she was talking about when it came to fancy earth makeup, forgetting that the chief still had noble earth femininity running through her blood.

"I can't believe how pretty you look." Aang spoke as if it were true, making Katara scoff.

"Aang, I can't fit in my dress; this hairstyle is giving me a migraine…" Katara reached down to grab the flowers they'd given her, "Some woman came in here and told me to walk with these instead of panda lilies, so there's another thing we asked for that only changed at the last minute."

Katara sniffed again, nuzzling Aang's warm palm when he replaced its warmth on her cheek, "I can't believe I'm feeling like this on what is supposed to be one of the happiest days of our lives… and I look terrible."

"Oh I don't know about that." He leaned in, psyching her out of thinking he was going for a kiss when he firmly wiped his cheek against hers, "I don't think there could be anything terrible about us matching."

"Aang!"

He managed a startled laughter out of her self-deprecation and she moaned when her attempts to get it off only created more smudge.

Giving up Katara sat back and couldn't help giggling at his goofy appearance.

She sighed, "Why did we invite all these people?"

"We didn't. They invited themselves."

"I wish they could be uninvited then. Even for a few minutes so we could have the wedding _we _wanted."

Aang chuckled in agreement.

Then, a look of revelation overtook his features.

**...**

A voice from behind the velvet curtain surrounding the wedding hall surprised the Fire Lord.

"Pssssst. Zuko."

"Aang? Where have you been, everybody is-"

"Stall them."

"What why?"

Aang reached out from the curtain, grabbing the nosy White Lotus member seated beside him.

"Iroh will explain later just stall."

"Wait wh-"

"Thanks!"

**...**

Waves crashed down and splashed rocks repeatedly, drowning Iroh's voice in and out; however, Katara couldn't blame it entirely on that.

Especially when the more likely reason was the man she stood in front of on top of the waterfall he'd whisked her to.

The man who had been whisking her within the clouds from the first moment they met, only setting her down atop her element so he could promise to turn every nightmare she had into a dream.

* * *

Note: 10 points to you if you can guess what favorite show of mine I was thinking of when I wrote this.


	7. Sun-Safe

**Title:** **"**She Needs His Fire**"**

**Summary: "**It had taken seven years but Aang finally felt he could keep Katara completely safe.**"**

**Day:** 7

**Prompt: **Safe

**Inspiration: **Aang's personality and his and Katara's flair for the cheesy and dramatic**.**

* * *

Katara huddled farther into her coat, hoping for a reduction from another violent shiver riding the top of her jawbone down.

"_Don't worry Gran Gran. I grew up here remember? A little snow won't bother me or Appa." _She mocked under her freezing breath. Her subtle teeth chattering felt like she was metaphorically eating her earlier words.

Up above, her boyfriend chuckle but Katara was more irritated by the small blanket of air he created beside her to cushion his landing.

He immediately hugged her, providing some muted warmth while Appa grunted at the mouth of the cave as he was not exactly enjoying the contrast of one side being pelted with frigid rain while the rest of his body sat warm in the cave.

"Sorry buddy." Aang patted his side. Appa playfully blew a tiny air current to knock Aang's hood off before attempting to sleep through the storm.

Aang readjusted his hood and hugged his shivering girl, the sound of their thick Southern coats rubbing against one another echoing around the cave walls.

Katara exhaled slowly, squeezing them as close as possible, "N-Nothing?"

"Nada." He raised his head to give her more access to nuzzle underneath his chin. Nothing they had stowed on Appa could be used to start a fire, be it too important or too valuable to waste.

Feeling him beginning to move away, Katara unwound her arms and took hold of his lapel, "S-S-Stop moving; where are you going?" her tone was accusatory of his attempts to steal a hot spot from her.

"Aren't you hungry?"

She shook her head and stubbornly pushed her body back into his, "Too cold to eat."

Aang blushed at her rough affection, "_But,_" he dragged out his reasoning, "having something warm in your stomach might make you feel better."

"We don't _have _anything warm Aang, remember?"

Their warm food rations had been split between the trip and Appa since they had not counted on still being in the Southern region when the storm hit. In fact, the large pot of soup Katara had made for them before taking off was specifically so they'd be warm enough getting out of the cold region.

"Oh yeah." Aang sighed.

They cuddled closer yet it wasn't enough. The sound of the wind outside and Appa's heavy snores weren't enough distraction. Even Katara's suggestion of unzipping their heavy layers, using one as a makeshift blanket and the other as padding for the cold rock floor, while they used each other's body heat was only moderately satisfactory as time passed.

Aang tried keeping his eyes closed and mind centered on his fire chakra which was… easier said than done. Especially when the woman in he held in his lap kept shivering and moving and rubbing his arms and legs in quick, systematic motions to keep them from falling asleep.

It was innocent help; still, Aang couldn't control his nineteen year old mind from creating very unhelpful images.

"H-How are you doing?" He peaked out of one eye, hoping she took the pink cheeks and hitched voice as reaction to the cold.

"N-Not bad." She lied. Aang's inner heat was a great change but ultimately that technique was meant to keep him warmer. If he internalized the way he had been doing so far any further—warming himself enough that his skin was feverishly warmer—she worried he'd actually cause himself a fever.

"M-Maybe an actually fire would be better though."

"Sweetie we don't have anything to burn."

"You could just… hold it in your hand." Katara's eyes shifted aside lazily, as if her suggestion was simply that.

An awkward silence passed through when he didn't reply. Katara didn't lift her gaze from his knee, and would've continued avoiding his eyes if his reddening hand had gone unnoticed on her waist.

"Aan-? Stop!"

He ceased his attempts to keep her warm but his frustration overcame him.

"It's the only way I can-"

"It is not Aang. Just make a fire."

"Why would I make a fire right now? You're too close!"

Aang immediately registered the face she was making. Quickly, before Katara could try any stubborn retribution or sarcastic reply, he completely enfolded her in his arms, pressed her pouty cheek against his and hated how cold it felt.

"Don't."

Katara blushed, too enthralled by his grasp and tone to speak.

"Don't even try it; you're right here and that feels too far away." He hoped the charm would distract her long enough for his body temperature to rise unnoticed.

She pinched him, reprimanding that attempt.

"How about _you_ don't try and butter me up. A-Aang, the storm is only going to get worse. We need a fire."

He knew she was right. The firebender instincts inside of him knew she was right. But, the mental blockage wouldn't break.

His hands smoldered despite himself, perhaps because deep inside his instinct to protect Katara always overrode any other feeling.

Even his own fear.

"What if something bad happens? If something goes wrong and you get hurt?"

She unwound his grip to cup his hands between them, "Aang, nothing will go wrong. I am perfectly safe."

A tiny flame started fluttering with a life that Aang would have immediately snuffed if not for Katara tightening her grip.

"How do you know?"

He completely ceased resisting when she smiled. Aang couldn't help feeling fueled by it, keeping the heat steady; wanting the glow she wore so well in her eyes and on her cheeks lit.

"As long as I'm with you, how could I be anything less?"

* * *

Note: The End


End file.
